Cooking Hacks 101: Saving Time in the Kitchen

Most of us spend several hours each week preparing meals in the kitchen. Small changes in these processes can save time and even result in better tasting food. Here are 9 easy kitchen hacks that you can incorporate into your routine to help save time while still making healthy, delicious food.

1. Ditch the Potato Peeler

Boil potatoes with the skin then soak them in an ice bath. The skin will easily separate from the potato, making it easy to pull off.

2. Soften Brown Sugar

Microwave hardened brown sugar next to a glass of water. The moisture from the water will help soften the sugar.

3. Save the Potato

Cover diced or shredded potatoes in cold water to keep them fresh between cutting and cooking. This will keep them from turning brownish, gray.

4. Measure Sticky Stuff Without a Mess

Coat a spoon or measuring cup with hot water before measuring ingredients such as molasses. The heat will enable it to slide off without leaving a mess.

5. Cut Oil Use in Half

Any baking recipe that calls for oil, only use half and make up the other half with unsweetened applesauce. So if the directions called for a cup of oil, you would use half a cup of oil and half a cup of applesauce.

6. Easy Chill

Keep wine and citrus drinks cold during the summer months without diluting them with ice. Drop a few frozen grapes in your glass to keep the drinks cool much longer.

7. Clean Chemicals off of Fruit

Fruit is healthy, pesticides aren’t. Scrub produce with a mixture of water and baking soda to remove pesticides and any other type of dirt and residue.

8. Save the Guac

Saving leftover guacamole is tricky. Because of how it reacts to oxygen it can turn brown quickly. This exposure to oxygen also changes the flavor. Pour a thin layer of water over the top of guacamole after storing it in a container. The water acts as a barrier against the oxygen. Simply pour out the water when it’s time to eat the guacamole again.

9.Corn “off” the Cob Made Easy

To make it easier to enjoy corn on the cob, stick the cob in the center hole of a Bundt cake pan. Then cut the corn downward, allowing the kernels to fall into the pan.

What are your favorite timesaving kitchen hacks? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!